Aren't you going to say it?
by shana.rose
Summary: Trying to deal with daily stress of life Sybil and Tom decide to be friends with the added bonus of sex. But what happens when they both start to feel something more? Modern AU. One-shot. For Angiemagz :)


**A/N: This is for a belated birthday present to Angiemagz! It's not exactly what you asked but I hope you like it!**

_**Prompt: Modern Tom and Sybil saying I love you for the first time… They both feel it but scared of scaring each other away for different reasons.**_

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGIE!**

**This has not been beta'd so probably lots of errors.**

* * *

Tom flopped onto the sofa next to Sybil, letting out a deep sigh.

Sybil winced, "That bad?"

Moving his head to rest on her shoulder he nodded.

After years of working full-time as a mechanic and being a student part-time Tom Branson had graduated third in his class with a degree in journalism… Six months ago.

Groaning Tom closed his eyes and pressed them against her shoulder. "I asked her when the baby's due. Turns out she wasn't pregnant."

Slapping her hand over her mouth. "Nooooo…" Sybil wasn't sure whether to laugh or be horrified for the woman.

"_Oh yes." _He paused a moment before adding, "I think it's safe to say that I won't be hearing back from them." He had really hoped to get this one. He was tired of sending out submissions to random papers in the hopes one would pick up one of his articles. Tired of working at the garage to keep from being broke.

Sybil nodded and the two sat in exhausted silence for a few minutes before he asked her about work.

She sighed, "Oh the usual. Long hours of fact checking, research and running around town like a mad person." She chuckled bitterly before adding, "And Oh! Got yelled at by my boss for apparently giving her the wrong coffee mug."

Tom moved his head up slightly. Enough so that his chin could rest on her shoulder. "You're kidding me."

"Oh I wish I was."

"How the hell do you give someone the wrong mug?" Pausing his face scrunched up in thought. "Did you give her someone else's by mistake?"

She flipped through the channels trying to find something to watch as she said, "No it was one of her mugs. It just wasn't the _right_ mug."

Tom swore under his breath. "Your boss is completely mad."

Sybil couldn't help but agree in this instance.

After graduating with a double major in political science and women studies. Sybil took an assistant job with London's biggest women's lobby group, hoping to work herself up the organization and to work with the best.

Her boss, while brilliant, highly motivated, and very skilled at tearing up her opponents arguments, was also a control freak. If everything was exactly so, exactly how she imagined it she'd scream until her face was blue. Her sisters have for weeks tried to convince her to quit but she refused. This is where she need to be if she serious wanted to change things so despite the fact that her boss call her at all hours, and the fact that she felt like a Raggedly-Ann doll, she was staying.

Sighing, Sybil kept flipping through channels until at last they found one they could both agree on. Neither speaking.

_God I need a break. I need to relax._ Looking over at Tom she could see the fatigued on his face. _And so does he._ They need a way to relax, to enjoy themselves for a change. Something to distract themselves from work, bills, student loans, from everything really. Something that would take away their stress-

"A shag."

Tom jerked up, his face clearly confused. "What?"

But Sybil was grinning at him, too busy thinking how perfect this arrangement would be. "That's it! We should starting shag."

Tom blinked. "What?"

She laughed. "Sorry. I was just thinking about how stressed we've both been these last few months. Me with work running me ragged, and you, struggling with finding a paper."

"Go on…"

"And I just thought that we both need a break y'know? We need to relax and what better way to get rid of all the pressure we've both going through then sex?"

"You want to start dating or do you mean…"

"I mean just some harmless stress relieving fun."

Tom looked at her for a moment before stating, "You've gone mad."

Annoyed and feeling a sting of hurt Sybil snapped, "Why? Because I thought of a way we could both enjoy ourselves a bit? Or is it just me that you have a problem with?"

"Jesus no!" He turned towards her. Shifting awkwardly as he said, "You're absolutely amazing Syb. Brilliant, witty, and feckin' gorgeous-"

Sybil felt her cheeks warm, but her curiosity was piqued. "Then why not?"

"Have you ever seen a movie Syb?"

She rolled her eyes, "Are you seriously telling me you don't want to do this because of some silly movies?"

"Absolutely."

Sybil huffed, "They're just films Tom! Life isn't a rom-com!"

He sighed, "Of course I know that. It's just- what if one of us starts feeling something more and the other doesn't?"

"We're adults Tom I think we can separate sex and romance."

He sighed. "We're such good mates-I just hate to lose that, you know?"

Sybil opened her mouth, not sure what to say when the oven timer for their pizza went off. Standing up she said, "I'll get it."

Tom nodded pausing the movie despite the fact that they missed enough already.

Several minutes went by with Tom playing on his mobile before he began to wonder what was taking her so long. He moving off the sofa he started towards the kitchen. "Is something wron- Holy Shite!"

His jaw wide open, Tom couldn't bring his eyes off the sight in front of him. There was Sybil, naked as the day she was born, sitting on his kitchen counter.

Grinning ear to ear she swung her legs up, leaping gracefully off the kitchen counter.

Taking a deep breath, he asked stupidly, "Are you seducing me?"

She bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "Maaybe." Strutting forward she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "Is it working?"

All he could do was lick his lips. He knew this could end horribly, but at that moment he couldn't care less. Wrapping one arm around her waist and pressing the other against her cheek he groaned, "You win." Before pulling her into a deep kiss.

* * *

3 months later…

* * *

Sighing happily Sybil kept her eyes closed as the last of her orgasm faded away.

She smiled as she felt his warm breath against her neck before he rolled off on her, yet keeping one arm around her waist.

"How long until you have to be back at work?"

Opening her eyes she twisted her head towards his alarm clock. "Forty minutes."

"You still hungry?"

She laughed, "Starving."

Tom nodded. Leaning up, he pressed a light kiss to her shoulder. His lips still hovering her shoulder as he said, "I'll make us something to eat then."

Sybil watches him walk out of the room, admiring his arse before he moves out of view. The minute he's out of view though she moved her hand up to her shoulder. Lightly circling the spot his lips had just been. Saving the warmth and the way her stomach fluttered at his action. Before pulling away and groaning.

_This was not supposed to happen. _But happen it did. It was too late now, she was gone. Completely and utterly gone over him.

Sighing, she turned her head towards the pillow only to breathe his scent in. A bit of motor oil and some spice like scent that was all his own.

Thinking back now, she should have seen it coming really. He was always so, clever, funny, political, and a cocky smart-arse; so _Tom_. How could she not?

At the time she told herself that it was curiosity, curiosity of what it would be like with Tom. Tom who was so different than any man, no, anyone she had ever met before. Yes curiosity and a bit of lust that's what she told herself.

She had been fooling herself. What she could see now that she couldn't see then, no refused to see then, was that she had already been half in love with him.

She pressed her hands over her face. For what feels like the millionth time she wonders if she should tell him. A small part of didn't want to say it purely because she could imagine him leaning over, grinning in that annoyingly cocky way he does sometimes and laughing over the fact that he, and every rom-com movie was correct. He then would pull her into his arms and kiss her before telling her he loved her too.

But then she would remember how hesitant he was to do this at all, how he was worried that one of them might start falling while the other didn't. Did he know then? That she would fall? Had he been saying all that because he knew that he wouldn't be the one to fall?

She turned her head towards her shoulder. The tingling from the spot where his lips had brushed against her fading. How his arm had stayed around her waist for a little while. That was another sigh.

When they were intimate he would hold her, caress her, his hands everywhere as if molding her, yet just like today he would pull himself away. Always having a reason to take him out of bed and out of her arms.

And just like the other scenario she could see it. Tom standing there awkwardly, fists in his pockets, looking everywhere other than at her before taking a deep breath, looking into her eyes and telling her that while she was wonderful, amazing, brilliant, he wasn't in love with her.

She could imagine it all falling away, no more mind-blowing sex, no more goofy around together, or watching movies, or just hanging out in general. Their every interaction so painfully awkward until they'd stop being friends altogether.

Why couldn't this be a movie?

She groaned. How could she possibly tell him she loved him without scaring him away?

* * *

Tilting his head back, he groaned. How do you find a birthday gift for your friend that you're sleeping with, that doesn't even remotely have any clue that you're madly in love with her?

He'd been looking for weeks for her gift. Yet everything he found seem to scream, _I love you and while you don't know it, you're holding my heart in your hands._ How do you find something friend like, sex partner acceptable, yet isn't too romantic?

Tom sighed. He had knew this would happen. When Sybil suggested they the whole thing he was already well aware of his strong attraction to her. How could he not? She was easily the most incredible woman he had ever met.

He had wanted to say yes badly, so badly, however, Sybil could be a mystery sometimes. With her posh upbringing she could easily hide her emotions and rather stoic. While she was fierce and passionate something told him that she could probably separate sex from love better than he could.

As the past three months had gone by though, he found that maybe that wasn't true. They're were spending all their time together now, they both had stuff in the other's flat. They're talk at least twice a day and texted throughout the day. They're go to the movies, to dinner, and when one of them was having a crap day they're just stay in and watch films.

Yes, whether Sybil realized it or not they were in a relationship.

The moment he had realized it all he had been giddy, wanting nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her. To tell her then how madly in love with her he was. But he held it in.

Her words from three months ago coming back. Did she want something serious? She was turning twenty-four in two days, still young and carefree. She wanted adventure, to not only change the world but to conquer it. There was so much she wanted to do. With all those things, would she see something, him, a burden?

And while he knew she cared about him, was confident that in time she might possibly love him back, he wasn't sure how she would react to a confession of love.

Would she be happy? Jump into his arms with joy? Or would she panic and bolt?

He didn't know the answer and that was what scared him. So he held it in.

He tried to make sure it wasn't obvious. Worrying over every little thing. How many times a day could he call or text before she started to think he was being clingy? How many times could he get away with holding her hand, kissing her lips, cheek, neck, or shoulder before she started to realize that he was getting a little too affectionate for something that's supposed to be causal?

He groaned. How would he ever find her a present that didn't make his feelings painfully obvious?

* * *

"Bye Gwen! Bye Jon!" She waved until they walked into the stairwell. Closing the door she moved to the couch sighing as she flopped down.

Tom chuckled. Moving around with a trash bag he was nearly done cleaning up the living room. "Tired are we?"

She smiled sheepishly,"A little actually." Work had been busy with a vote involving healthcare coming up. Spending these last few hours with friends and love ones was just what she needed.

Placing the trash bag to the side he flopped right next to Sybil. "SO good birthday?"

She leaned closer, moving her chin to his shoulder. "The best." She smiled before adding, " I told you how much I love my present right?"

He laughed, "Few times yeah." He had been heading to his new job at a small paper, when not paying attention he had made a wrong turn. He found himself in front of a small independent bookstore. Going inside to find directions his eyes immediately spotted the perfect present. A second edition of Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of Rights of Woman. The book was a bit roughed up but Tom had gotten it for a steal.

Sybil had been over the moon! Practically leaping into his arms to thank him. Jokingly insisting that he must take her there to find other hidden gems or they would never have sex again.

He had laughed, promising to take her tomorrow.

"Oh! I forgot. Hold on," Climbing off the couch Tom headed to the kitchen. Grabbing her favorite dessert from the freezer, he noticed her ridiculous bunny slippers that she loved and grabbed those too.

"Here I got you this on my way over."

She squealed. The café near Tom's work made the _best_ strawberry shortcake.

Seeing the slippers Sybil stuck out her feet stating only, "It's my birthday."

Tom rolled his eyes but kneel down and grabbed her feet. "Would milady like a foot massage as well?" He teased.

Sybil moaned as she took a bite. Closing her eyes she murmured out, "And I thought I couldn't love you more."

The instant the words left her lips she dropped her cake and threw her hands over her mouth. Her eyes wide open looking at him in horror.

The words said so carelessness, so causally that Tom thought he imagined it. "W-What?" Still kneeling Tom moved closer. "What did you say?"

Sybil shook her head. Wishing she could shove her words back into her mouth.

Gently moving his hands over hers he pulled them down to her lap. He stroked her hands looking into her eyes as he pleaded, "Please."

It was his eyes that did it. His eyes that were pleading with her, that gave her a surge of hope. Quietly as she whispered, "I thought I couldn't love you more."

His whole being feeling like it's about to burst from happiness. Framing her face in his hands he leaned up, their faces only an inch apart. "You have no idea how happy that makes me Syb, no idea."

Their lips smash together in a kiss that feels different than any kiss they've shared before.

Everything feeling so much more. The way they press together, the way their mouths moved, the way their tongues circled each other. Every touch and caress so much more.

They move blindly towards the bedroom. As their bodies fall to the bed and their flesh met, a slow burn seems to appear. As if both of them were trying to savor every instance of this moment.

The words "I love you," whispered against each other's skin before they soon were chanted as they both reach their peak.

Pressed firmly together as their breathing slowly goes back to normal. Neither one is ready to move apart from each other.

Finally after a long comfortable silence Sybil bit her lip and asked, "Well aren't you going to say it?"

Confused Tom asked, "I love you?"

Sybil laughed, pleased but shaking her head. "I meant- you say that it weren't work. Being friends with benefits."

"So?"

She rolled her eyes, "So…"

It took him a moment to realize what she was waiting for. But what was the purpose of saying I told you so? No in this moment he felt much too sentimental to say that.

Leaning down he pressed a chaste kiss against her lips. "No, the only thing I could possibly say is how very I love you."

Feeling her heart overwhelmed with love in this moment all had to blink away the tears and pulled him down for another kiss.


End file.
